Moving-leg control for external spring suspension hobby horse device



p 8, 1964 F. H. WYMAN 3,147,973

MOVING-LEG common FOR EXTERNAL s ams SUSPENSION HOBBY HORSE DEVICE Filed Oct. 16, 1961 5px i1.

INVENTOR. FLOYD H. WYMAN ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,147,973 MOVING-LEG CONTROL FOR EXTERNAL SPRING SUSPENSION HOBBY HORSE DEVICE Floyd H. Wyman, Westminster, S.C., assignor to Taylor Wyman Company, Westminster, S.C., a corporation of South Carolina Filed Oct. 16, 1961, Ser. No. 145,270 2 Claims. (Cl. 272-532) The present invention relates to spring suspended rider actuated devices such as toy animals or the like with control means for utilizing the motion of the rider actuated device to move different movable parts of the toy animals such as the legs, tail, lips, ears or to actuate a noise maker. The present disclosure relates to the application of the present invention to a spring suspended hobby horse or the like and in particular to a novel control means for utilizing the motion of the rider actuated hobby horse to move the legs of the horse to simulate the gaited leg movements of a live horse. The base structure and spring suspension utilized in accomplishing the objectives of the present invention are of a conventional and well known design, wherein the hobby horse body is suspended by meansof four externally mounted tension springs which connect and suspend the hobby horse body with relation to a fixed base structure, usually having four upright post members. The specific type of four spring suspension means forms no part of the present invention and examples of the type of suspension utilized are clearly illustrated in US. Patents Nos. 2,758,632, 2,937,022 and US. design Patent No. 177,600.

The prior art devices of the character referred to usually utilize some type of rigid wooden body or preformed rigid plastic construction. The hobby horse body, including a saddle, foot rests and hand holds is then suspended by the four tension springs referred to, in a position more or less equidistant from four upright posts of the base structure. No provision has been made in the prior art of this character for causing the four legs of the hobby horse itself to move in a rhythmic gate to add to the fascination and enjoyment of a child utilizing the toy. With the present invention, the relative motion between the hobby horse body, the four tension springs and the four upright posts, produced by the efforts of the rider, is utilized to cause all four legs of the hobby horse to move in a predetermined fashion as long as the hobby horse is actuated by the rider.

This invention has, therefore, the primary object of presenting a toy animal riding device having an external four spring suspension and movable parts actuated by relative movement of the toy animal with respect to a stationary base.

A more specific object of the present invention is the presentation of a hobby horse riding device having an external four spring suspension and movable horse legs.

A further object of the present invention is to present a novel device for utilizing the normal movement of a spring suspended hobby horse of the character described to impart constant motion to the legs of the hobby horse during its actuation by the rider.

Another objects of the present invention characterized by a preferred embodiment thereof, is the production of a movable-leg hobby horse wherein the control mechanism for moving the legs is completely concealed within the hobby horse body and wherein the hobby horse body is adapted for mounting on a conventional four spring external suspension.

An object is to present the present invention wherein the front and rear pairs of legs are rigidly fixed to cer tain pivotable cross members and are caused to move in unison without the necessity of connecting linkage. This form of the present invention further provides a simplified Patented Sept. 8, 1964 construction which accomplishes the purpose of the in vention and yet allows for ease and economy of manufac ture.

The means by which the foregoing objects and other advantages, which will be apparent to those skilled in the art, are accomplished are set forth in the following specification and claims and are illustrated in the accompanying drawings dealing with a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Reference is made now to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a partially sectioned side elevation of the invention showing the mounting means and control means for the movable legs.

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along lines 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an expanded detailed view of the attaching means between the spring suspension and the pivotal leg supports.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals are used to indicate identical parts in the various views, the preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrated in FIGURES 1-3, comprises a preformed hobby horse body 52 illustrated in FIGURE 1, which may be constructed of a molded plastic or any other suitable material. While the specific details of the body portion form no part of the present invention, such will be hollow and will usually be so formed and finished to depict a miniature horse body and will also include a saddle portion for seating the rider. According to the present invention, the hollow body portion will be constructed to provide a suitable opening or openings in the front portion thereof and opening or openings 53 in the rear portion thereof, as illustrated in FIGURE 1, to accommodate the movement of the front pivoted legs 58 and the rear pivoted legs 57 respectively, illustrated in FIGURE 1.

The hobby horse body 52 may take the form of a hollow plastic shell or even a solid wooden construction with openings such as 53 in the front and rear portions of the body for mounting the four movable legs and allowing sufficient movement thereof. A pivotally mounted cross dowel 54 extends through the rear portion of the body 52 and is journaled in suitable bearings 55 formed in the sides of the body 52 as illustrated in FIGURE 2. An identical front dowel 56 is pivotally mounted in the front portion of the body 52 in the same manner as illustrated in FIGURE 2 for the rear dowel 54. A pair of rear legs 57 are rigidly secured to the rear cross dowel 54 by means of wood screws or their equivalent 58 as shown in FIGURES 1 and 2. Although the rear legs 57 are shown in aligned position in FIGURE 1, it would, of course be possible to alter the positions of the two leg members. The same construction is utilized for the front legs 58 which are rigidly secured to the front cross dowel 56 by means of screw members 59.

The four ends of the rear and front cross dowels 54 and 56 are provided with slots 60 which extend in a horizontal position and holes 61 which extend in a vertical direction at right angles thereto when the horse is in a normal or unactuated position, such as illustrated in FIGURE 1. The details of the arrangement of the slots and holes in the respective cross dowels is illustrated in FIGURE 3. Each of the end portions of the cross dowels is also provided with a bolt 62 which is designed to extend through the hole 61 and a nut 63 which clamps the end portions 64 of the four suspension springs 65 to the respective cross dowels. The base frame structure includes the four upstanding post members 66, two of which are illustrated in FIGURE 1. The suspension springs 65 are clamped to the cross dowels 54 and 56 and then attached at their opposite ends to the four upstanding posts 66.

From the arrangement just described it will be apparent that the rear set of legs 57 will move in unison as the rear cross dowel 54 pivots relative to the horse body when the horse body is moved either upwardly or downwardly from its normal position shown in FIGURE 1. Likewise the front set of legs 58 will move in unison when the front cross dowel 56 is caused to rotate relative to the body 52 when the body is moved either upwardly or downwardly from the normal position shown in FIGURE 1. Thus the form of the invention illustrated in FIG- URES 1 to 3 presents an extremely simplified structure for obtaining the movement of the horse legs and eliminates the necessity for any connecting linkage between the front and rear pairs of legs. The form of the invention will thus accomplish the purposes of the present invention and it will admit to relatively cheap production costs.

It will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention provides novel and useful improvements in moving leg control means for spring suspended hobby horse devices. It will also be observed that the specific disclosure of the present invention has a very wide application since numerous variations of the basic concept may be utilized in controlling the movement of any movable part of a spring mounted animal body. Such further applications of the present disclosed concept may be made without departure from the inventive concepts disclosed herein. Since the arrangements and types of structural components utilized in this invention may be subject to numerous modifications well within the purview of this invention, the applicant intends only to be limited to a liberal interpretation of the specification and appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A moving-leg hobby horse device comprising; in combination, a base structure including four spaced upright support members, a hobby horse body, front and rear cross shafts pivotally mounted in said body, said cross shafts extending beyond the lateral sides of said body, tension springs connecting the end portions of said shafts to the support members and being rigidly clamped to the ends of said shafts, a pair of front legs rigidly mounted on said front cross shaft and a pair of rear legs rigidly mounted on said rear cross shaft whereby said front and rear pair of legs will move relative to said body when said cross shafts are caused to rotate by the actuation of said hobby horse body.

2. In a spring suspended hobby horse device which includes pivotally mounted legs, control apparatus for moving said legs comprising; a cross shaft rotatably mounted in said body, means to rigidly clamp the ends of said shaft to the spring suspension, and means to rigidly mount said legs on said shaft including motion transmitting pins extending into the terminal portions of said legs and through said shaft whereby the motion of said shaft will be transmitted to said legs.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Deacly Apr. 14, 1959 Horgan Sept. 30, 1960 

2. IN A SPRING SUSPENDED HOBBY HORSE DEVICE WHICH INCLUDES PIVOTALLY MOUNTED LEGS, CONTROL APPARATUS FOR MOVING SAID LEGS COMPRISING; A CROSS SHAFT ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN SAID BODY, MEANS TO RIGIDLY CLAMP THE ENDS OF SAID SHAFT TO THE SPRING SUSPENSION, AND MEANS TO RIGIDLY MOUNT SAID LEGS ON SAID SHAFT INCLUDING MOTION TRANSMITTING PINS EXTENDING INTO THE TERMINAL PORTIONS OF SAID LEGS AND THROUGH SAID SHAFT WHEREBY THE MOTION OF SAID SHAFT WILL BE TRANSMITTED TO SAID LEGS. 